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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

What's on the School Menu? Some MN Students Now Help Decide

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Friday, March 7, 2014   

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A unique twist on the Farm to School program in Minnesota now has students taking a lead role in getting fresh and local produce out of the fields and onto the menu.

Farm to School has been in place for about five years at Morris Area High School.

That's where agriculture teacher Natasha Mortenson has put juniors and seniors in charge of evaluating the menu and partnering with the food service staff.

"And actually talking to farmers on the telephone and securing some foods that will come into our cafeteria,” she adds. “It's a great experience for the students to develop their leadership skills and communication skills, as well as a great learning tool of learning about Farm to School and how you can secure food for that."

The activities that Mortenson created for her own classroom have been incorporated into the latest curriculum to be offered with Farm to School.

The efforts are supported by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Erin McKee VanSlooten, farm-to-institution senior program associate with the Institute, says getting students involved helps to take some of the planning burden off of school staff, already spread thin.

"It's an elegant solution to have the students helping to remove some of that heavy workload from the school staff and also giving them the opportunity to really take ownership and leadership in their Farm to School program," she says.

In addition to the educational opportunities for students, VanSlooten says Farm to School provides more markets for area farmers and can play a role in the fight against obesity.

"If you can get these kids to know about where their food is coming from and to learn about what it means to eat locally, they make better choices in their diets and they're going to be healthier,” she says. “And the earlier that you can reach them, the sooner they're going to make those healthy choices"

At last count in 2012, about 240 districts statewide were taking part in Farm to School with more coming on board each year.




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